Earth Day Environmental Film Festival in Kent

Looking for something to do to celebrate Earth Day? Here's something to to mark on your calendar:

WHO: Standing Rock Cultural Arts is pleased to announce

WHAT: The 2nd Annual “Who’s Your Mama?” Earth Day and Environmental Film Festival
-Block Party, Main St., Downtown Kent, April 19
-Films at The Kent Stage, April 19 & 20
-FEATURED FILM "RETURN OF THE CUYAHOGA", Sun. April 20, KENT STAGE

WHEN: April, 2008

WHERE: Downtown Kent and throughout Portage County
-Headline Event at The Kent Stage, 175 E. Main St., April 19 & 20
-Block Party on Main Street, Downtown Kent on April 19, 11am-5pm.
-Green Building Tour, Old Brady Lake School, Lake St. Kent, April 18
-Studio 425, 425 Gougler Ave, Sculpture, Film, and Poetry
-Films at Portage County Libraries. Locations TBA

ADMISSION TO KENT STAGE:
-$10 one day
-$15 week-end pass
-$3 off for Students/Seniors

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT KENT STAGE, SPIN MORE RECORDS, WOODSY’S MUSIC, AND NORTH WATER STREET GALLERY.

CONTACT: 330-673-4970
-www.kentstage.org

DIRECTIONS: www.kentstage.org/directions/html

UPDATES AND FILM SCHEDULE: www.whosyourmama.org

STANDING ROCK CULTURAL ARTS: www.standingrock.net

FESTIVAL DESCRIPTION AND REQUEST FOR SPONSORS:

We are currently planning The 2nd Annual “Who’s Your Mama?” Earth Day and Environmental Film Festival to take place between April 16 and April 20, 2008. Many of the events and activities will take place at The Historic Kent Stage, 175 E. Main St. in downtown Kent.

The purpose of the festival is to celebrate Earth Day and bring a greater awareness to the idea of sustainable, ecological activities to a large number of people in our region.

We truly appreciate Mama Earth and would like to invite you to come join in the celebration!

There are 4 Main Themes.

1. Alternative Energy
2. Sustainable Agriculture
3. Conservation
4. Multi-Media Environmental Education (Films, Fashion, Dance..)

Here’s what has been planned so far:

-MAIN STREET IN DOWNTOWN KENT WILL BE CLOSED ON APRIL 19, between Depeyester and Water Streets for environmental activities and displays.

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

-A Solar Power Station will be set up to provide solar power for the event and run the DVD Projector for the films. Solar Trailer provided by The Wayne County Sustainable Energy Network and Habitat for Humanity.

-A Windmill Demonstration featuring AZ Renewable Energy

-A Pedal Powered Generator or “Energy Bike” will be on display as a demonstration for how to use human power to charge cell phone batteries or run a laptop. This is a collaborative project involving Standing Rock Cultural Arts, The Ravenna Athletic Center, and The Kent Roosevelt High School’s Environmental Science Class and Environmental Club.

-The Bio Bus, a biodiesel mobile eco-bus of the Portage Park District will be on hand. Staff of the Park District will lead a mask making activity featuring 200 years of Wildlife in Portage County.

-The Grease Machine, An F-250 Pick-up truck that runs on Waste Vegetable Oil from Ray’s Place restaurant will be on display.

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

-There will be a Local Food Challenge at downtown restaurants and eateries. Each chef, cook, or baker will be invited to include an item on their menu that uses local, and if possible, organic ingredients.
Participants TBA.

-Kent Natural Foods Co-Operative will be having an Open House on April 19, offering food samples and a member discount to the general public.

- Totally Cooked Catering will be providing sumptuous delectables that are locally grown and masterfully prepared to please the palette at The Kent Stage, April 19.

CONSERVATION

-The Portage County Soil and Water Conservation District will have a Rain Garden Display in the downtown area. Location TBA.

-Design with a Vision Architecture will offer a multi-media presentation on Designing a Green Building at the Kent Stage at noon on April 19.

-Green Building Tour presented by Builder’s Diversified on Lake Street in Kent. Tour begins Friday, April 18, 10pm.

CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES

-Storytelling with full blooded Native Cherokee, Edwin George. Time and location TBA.

-A Portage County Bicentennial Coloring Contest featuring Native Plants and Animals at the Kent Stage, April 19, 10-11:30am. There will be three winners drawn from a hat and each will receive a bicycle and helmet.

-The Portage County Recycling Center will have a vermiculture display. Children and the Public will have a chance to see what a Worm Farm is.

-Native Seed Planting. Master Gardeners of Portage County will have recycled containers, a pile of dirt, and a choice of native plant seeds for children to plant and take home.


MULTI-MEDIA ENVIROMENTAL EDUCATION

-PBS's WVIZ Ideastream, is planning to screen the film they recently co-produce titled, "*The Return of The Cuyahoga**"*

-The Davey Tree Company is planning on screening a film they helped support called "The Return of The American Elm". Filmmakers Daniel and Catherine Smith will be present.

-A Panel Discussion on the theme of Conservation is to be held at the Kent Stage on Sunday, April 20.

-Elaine Mattern and the Filmmakers Daniel and Catherine Smith will lead a discussion about the film "The Return of The American Elm."

DANCE

-A modern dance performance by SAFMOD, a Cleveland-based dance phenomenon performing work on the theme of Wildlife Conservation.

FASHION

-A Fashion Show highlighting recycled clothing by Tragically Delicious Eco-Fashions

MUSIC

-Music by The Speedbumps, The Shiva Zoo, Hal Walker and others TBA

POETRY AND SCULPTURE

-“Sculpture and Poems from the Tree”
-Studio 425, 425 Gougler Ave., Kent
-Tree Sculpture by Jim VandenBoom (tree from John Davey’s land)
-Poems by Home Schooled, Holden and Davey Elementary and Maplewood Career Center Students

RAFFLE

-A Green Item Raffle will take place at the Kent Stage on April 19. Items donated by local businesses.

-Local businesses such as Kent Natural Foods Co-Operative, Haymaker Farm Market, Design With A Vision, Builder's Diversified, Organic Roots Horticulture, EnviroScience, and Renewable Lubricants will be on display in the lobby of the Kent Stage and on Main Street between Depeyster and Water Streets.

-There will also be craft booths of earth friendly crafts.

-Standing Rock Cultural Arts is working in cooperation with the The Portage Park District, The Kent Parks and Recreation Department, The Ravenna Parks and Recreation Department, The Portage County Soil and Water Conservation District, The Portage County Recycling Center, The Portage County Bicentennial Committee, Main Street Kent and The Portage County Library District on this event.

-Standing Rock Cultural Arts has been awarded grants from the Ohio Arts Council (Arts Innovation), The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Environmental Education Mini Grant), The Kent Environmental Council, and The Sylvia Coogan Foundation for the 2008 festival.

-Current sponsors include The Record Publishing Co, The Davey Tree Expert Company, AZ Renewable Energy, Green Energy Ohio, Portage Area Regional Transportation Authority (PARTA) and EnviroScience Inc, The Water Resources Research Institute of Kent State University, The Portage County Health District, Organic Roots Horticulture, H-W Organic Farms, Balanced Living Magazine, The Daily Kent Stater, City Bank Antiques, Design with a Vision Green Building Designs, The Portage County Local Emergency Planning Committee (PCLEPC), The Hoppin Frog Brewery, The Great Lakes Brewing Company, Abruzzos Wine and Homebrew Supply, The Master Gardeners of Portage County and more..

-We are also looking for sponsors who would like to be a part of this exciting and worthwhile event on April 19.

-Sponsors would receive free passes to the event at The Kent Stage, April 19 and 20, 2008.

Sponsorship Levels:

Gardener: Wood $100
-Listed in the program of the event:

Farmer: Bronze $300
-Listed on printed materials (posters, fliers, program):
-Booth Space at Event:

Solarian: Silver $500
-Business Card Size Ad in program (plus logo on printed materials)
-Booth Space at Event

Aquarian (Lead Sponsor:) Gold $1000
-Logo on 12' x 15' banner and all promotional materials.
-Booth Space at Event.

Champion Tree Sponsor: Platinum $1,500.00 +
-Top Billing on all promotional materials
-Booth Space at Event
-Mentioned on Main Stage at Event

In-Kind Donations such as solar panels or deep cycle batteries, marketing and publicity materials, and compact fluorescent bulbs are accepted and appreciated as well.

Checks payable to
Standing Rock Cultural Arts
257 N. Water St
Kent, OH 44240

Thank you for your time and consideration,

"Who's Your Mama?" Earth Day and Environmental Film Festival
Standing Rock Cultural Arts
257 N. Water St.
Kent, OH 44240
330-673-4970
www.standingrock.net

www.whosyourmama.org

Current Schedule of Festival Events and Activities.

Check www.whosyourmama.org for updates.

Ohio continues to do nothing about the environment

From the AP via the Akron Beacon Journal online:

COLUMBUS: A conservation group says it can't grade Ohio lawmakers on their environmental records because they passed almost no substantive laws on the topic last year.

The brief snippet on a subject of utmost importance goes on to say that legislators had time to name the official state of Ohio amphibian, while not considering things like:

1. Cleaning up the toxic industrial wastelands that pollute our urban areas.

2. Building a high speed train that connects all the major Ohio cities.

3. Establishing green building standards for every state contract that is given out.

4. Establishing higher standards for clean air, water, and waste management.

5. Banning plastic bags!

6. Moving away from coal and nuclear power to sustainable forms of energy.

And that's just my short list!

Here in Akron, we need to do way more than simply call for a new "Green-print" for our city. It is going to take some major focus and energy, not to mention a commitment in funding. One of the problems is that very few of our "leaders" recognize that it is the small things that count largest. For example, the ubiquitous plastic bags that choke our landscapes and kill our wildlife and use up obscene amounts of petroleum. San Francisco banned them. Now China has also abolished their use, so why not Akron?

How much of the new building that goes on in our city is based upon green and sustainable principles? Not to mention energy conservation and emphasis on use of recycled materials? Meanwhile, Medina has just built itself a brand new environmentally responsible library.

How do we get our politicians to get focus on vital matters instead of playing "king of the hill" all the time?

A weekend for the planet!

Lots of worthwhile events this weekend!

Kick off a global call for peace tonight at the opening of Yoko Ono's art exhibit at the Meyers Gallery, University of Akron. Details here.

Rock the world for global warming awareness by holding or attending a Party for the Planet. Not only do you get to watch Al Gore's Live Earth in a friendly setting, you will also get to see video footage of the presidential candidates answering Moveon.org's questions about the environment. Members will be polled to see which candidates are winning the votes for their environmental stances. More info here.

And let us not forget the National Solar 2007 Conference in Cleveland. Sunday is the day I'll be attending. Public Day for the conference will feature a trade show with over 130 clean energy vendors. I'm going to do some comparison shopping to see if a single school teacher with an old home and low mortgage can afford to go solar. Public Day will also feature consumer presentations, job recruitment, and a Green Energy Ohio public forum featuring congresswoman Marcy Kaptur speaking on the latest green energy initiatives.

Sunday, July 8, 2007
10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Location: Starts & Ends from the Cleveland Convention Center
(500 Lakeside Ave, Cleveland, Ohio 44114)

Sherrod Brown Is a Player!

From the Loraine Chronicle:

AVON — U.S. Senator-elect Sherrod Brown will continue to work on the issues that matter most to him — health care, trade and education.
Brown was recently assigned to four Senate committees: Agriculture, Banking, Veterans and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, better known as HELP.
“I get to work on everything I campaigned on,” he said.

This is great news! Sherrod is given the opportunity to make a real difference in the areas that matter most to Ohioans.

On CBS Face the Nation this morning, Sherrod appeared with two other new senators -- Democrat Claire McCaskill and Republican Bob Corker. First topic of discussion -- Iraq. Too much leaning on the Baker Committee's upcoming report by McCaskill and Corker, instead of saying what needs to be done. Everybody's afraid to stick their necks out -- except for Sherrod who stated what he'd said all campaign long -- make immediate plans for a phased pull out to be completed within one and a half to two years, and at the same time work to negotiate settlements among the warring factions and the surrounding countries.

Corker turned into a most agreeable Republican, going along with the spirit of bipartisanship, by announcing his support of an increase in minimum wages, support for exposing the earmark process for funding, and for changes in the way drug prices are obtained for Medicare recipients.

In Washington, the new power grid would appear to favor those who can work across the aisle. Joining with the executive branch is the sure kiss of death for the next two years.

According to yesterday's Washington Post, Lobbyists in key industries are making plans to prepare for business under the next congress. Barbara Boxer replacing James Inhofe as chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is huge! Inhofe is the senator who thinks global warming is a big hoax.

Looks like the Dems are ready to get down to business and the business leaders are realizing that it is time to to be grateful for all the extra loot they made in the past few years, because it is now time to pay the piper. We must educate the young to prepare them to face severe environmental problems, and somehow provide a decent end of life quality for those who are retired.